Correlates of protection against rotaviral gastroenteritis in children in Vellore, India

Project

Rotavirus (RV) infections occur repeatedly in humans from birth to old age. In young children, infections can cause severe diarrhoea and almost a million children die each year as a result. Although childhood morbidity is similar globally, mortality is particularly high in developing countries such as India.

While it is recognised that repeated infections with rotaviruses can protect against disease, it is not known which particular protein of rotavirus evokes this protective response. Since the only licensed rotaviral vaccine was withdrawn in 1999 due to a side-effect, it is imperative that a correlate of protection is identified.

This programme will use newly developed techniques and reagents to study rotaviral infections in south Indian children from birth to three years of age, evaluating the response to individual proteins during each infection. The results of these studies will provide the information on which to base the design of new vaccines and the evaluation of future vaccines.

Applicants

Professor M K Estes
Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Texas Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA

Dr S Jaffar
Infectious Disease Unit Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK

Dr G Kang
Department of Gastrointestintal Sciences, Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore, India